Omallley said:
cw said:
TORONTO - One of the youngest teams in the NHL last season, the Maple Leafs have become decidedly older in the off-season.
We?re not talking greybeards by any stretch, but barring any more moves, Tim Connolly and John-Michael Liles will represent the elderly when training camp opens in September. Today, they?re the only 30-year-olds on the Leafs? roster.
The Leafs didn?t set out to add age this summer.
?You don?t want older guys who can?t play,? assistant general manager Claude Loiselle said on Wednesday. ?The key is, can they help the process? We feel we have a good core group, with
(captain) Dion (Phaneuf) being our leader, and it?s good enough.?
I take exception to the first sentence:
http://nhlnumbers.com/teams?sort=average_age&order=asc&year=
According to NHLnumbers.com, the Leafs average NHL age is the youngest in the league.
Liles is 3 yrs younger than Kaberle. -3
Aulie is 9 yrs younger than Beauchemin -9
Reimer is 11 younger than Giguere -11
Franson is 6 yrs younger than Lebda -6
Connolly is only 3 yrs older than Brent +3
Lupul is 2 years older than Versteeg +2
Kadri is 8 yrs younger than Sjostrum -8
that's probably not all of them but tallies -32 - which is a year and a half younger on average (over the roster) while the rest of the roster got a year older.
Contrary to the article, this remains a very young NHL team.
I think a lot of folks are looking at where the team was at the last game of the year versus where they'll be at the first game. From the start of last season though, there's no doubt they're younger, nor is there any doubt that they're among the youngest in the league...
I think the dots at the of of your post express a reservation about this team a lot of us have. Burke and co. have said they are confident in the ability of the team as is to make the playoffs. They have also made it so that this team is the youngest, and I would have to imagine one of the most
inexperienced, teams in the league. How often does a team like that make the playoffs, especially
without a bonafide superstar?
Personally, I would like it if Burke traded for a couple of mentally tough, team-oriented veterans, basically some Brad May types. I am concerned about the fragility of this team if they go through an early losing streak, particularly with an already abraisive Ron Wilson's job in imminent jeopardy. I
was really hoping for Arnott, but now I would see if we could pry Jarret Stoll away from the Kings or,
unless I'm missing a reason why he is still unsigned, see if Mike Grier would take a reasonable offer.